Manny, Blake pickups add up to playoffs for Dodgers

LOS ANGELES -- Manager Joe Torre certainly knows how to finish, and his Los Angeles Dodgers apparently developed that mentality as well in becoming National League West champions. "To me, late in the season, momentum changes quick," Torre said. "What was important was we didn't lose more than one game in a row (in September before clinching the division). We never lost our edge." Oh, who are we kidding? How did the Dodgers even get in that position to go 17-8 in September and overtake the Diamondbacks for first place? Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake. All Ramirez did in his 53 games as a Dodger was hit .396, 17 home runs and drive in 53 runs. To put those numbers in context, he hit .299 and had 20 homers and 68 RBI with the Red Sox in about twice as many games this season. Yes, the stunning trade Dodgers management pulled off minutes before the July 31 deadline will rank as one of the franchise's more memorable moments. Owner Frank McCourt stood at the podium and announced the acquisition of one of the greatest right-handed hitters in history for a minimal cost (the Red Sox paid his salary for the final two months). Ramirez brought a fresh attitude, dreadlocks and music into the clubhouse, all of which were helpful but yet secondary to the fear he put into National League pitchers. On the day he arrived, the Dodgers were one game under .500. They finished the season six over .500 (84-78), good enough to match up against the Chicago Cubs in a best-of-five playoff series beginning Wednesday. "The guy's been about as good as we could expect him to be," General Manager Ned Colletti said. Five days before Ramirez was acquired, Colletti plucked third baseman Blake from Cleveland, and his impact was felt as well. For years the Dodgers have been looking for some stability at the position, and Blake provided it in a year when Nomar Garciaparra and Andy LaRoche were both hurt and inconsistent. Blake hit 10 home runs for the Dodgers and, as Ramirez did, played surprisingly well on defense. "The personality of Blake is stoic, really a gamer who puts everything into every at-bat, a great example," Colletti said. "Manny loves playing. He's passionate about it, and not only his ability, but his demeanor lightened some people up and gave them a chance to play without worrying." Certainly the rest of the Dodgers had a big hand in this, as they bounced back from an eight-game losing streak to take two of three in Arizona heading into the final month. Youngsters such as Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp grew up along the way. Jonathan Broxton stepped in competently when closer Takashi Saito suffered an elbow injury. And starters Derek Lowe and Chad Billingsley were so consistently good that the Dodgers led the league with a 3.68 ERA. Injuries were aplenty. Blake DeWitt, who began the season as the team's third baseman, re-learned the second base position in the minors and ended up starting down the stretch after Jeff Kent needed knee surgery. Angel Berroa was acquired, played shortstop well in place of Rafael Furcal and eventually caught a hot streak at the plate. "Guys accepted their roles," Ethier said. And Torre, who made his 13th straight postseason as a manager, came through as well. He likely held more one-on-one meetings with young players than he had in previous seasons combined. "To keep it steady through everything we've been through, without that manner of leadership, I don't know that we're sitting here right now," Colletti said. "He's been steady as can be through good times and bad times."(Reach Diamond Leung at dleung@PE.com.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)